U.S. patent application number 14/863667 was filed with the patent office on 2016-03-31 for vehicular battery system having switch device.
The applicant listed for this patent is DENSO International America, Inc.. Invention is credited to Patrick POWELL.
Application Number | 20160090054 14/863667 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55583579 |
Filed Date | 2016-03-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160090054 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
POWELL; Patrick |
March 31, 2016 |
VEHICULAR BATTERY SYSTEM HAVING SWITCH DEVICE
Abstract
A battery system for a vehicle may include a battery pack and a
switch device. The battery pack may include a plurality of
batteries for providing power to devices in the vehicle. The switch
device includes a plurality of switches that are electrically
coupled to each of the batteries of the battery pack. The switches
are operable to control each of the batteries of the battery pack.
For example, two or more batteries of the battery pack may be
coupled in series or in parallel, and/or a single battery may be
controlled independently from the other batteries.
Inventors: |
POWELL; Patrick; (Farmington
Hills, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
DENSO International America, Inc. |
Southfield |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55583579 |
Appl. No.: |
14/863667 |
Filed: |
September 24, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62055221 |
Sep 25, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
307/9.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 16/03 20130101;
B60H 1/3232 20130101; B60R 16/04 20130101; B60H 1/00428 20130101;
B60H 1/3222 20130101; Y02T 10/88 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60R 16/03 20060101
B60R016/03; B60R 16/04 20060101 B60R016/04 |
Claims
1. A battery system for a vehicle, the battery system comprising: a
battery pack including a plurality of batteries; and a switch
device including a plurality of switches, wherein the switches are
electrically coupled to each of the batteries of the battery pack
and are operable to control each of the batteries of the battery
pack.
2. The battery system of claim 1 further comprising: a battery
monitor monitoring a power state of the batteries; and a battery
control module outputting a command signal to the switch device to
control the batteries of the battery pack based on the power state
of the batteries from the battery monitor.
3. The battery system of claim 2 further wherein the battery
monitor monitors a state of charge and a charge rate of each of the
batteries.
4. The battery system of claim 2 wherein the battery control module
communicates with one or more system modules of the batteries that
require power from the battery pack and determine the operation of
the batteries of the battery pack based on information the system
modules.
5. The battery system of claim 2 wherein: the battery monitor
determines a performance characteristic of the batteries of the
battery pack; and the battery control module outputs a battery
status to an external device in response to the performance
characteristic being below a threshold.
6. The battery system of claim 1 wherein the switches are
metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors.
7. The battery system of claim 1 wherein the switch device is
coupled to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of each of
the batteries by way of the switches.
8. The battery system of claim 1 wherein the switch device controls
each of the batteries independently of each other such that the
batteries of the battery pack are operable individually and
connectable in series or in parallel.
9. A vehicle system comprising: a first subsystem operating a first
device; a second subsystem operating a second device; a battery
pack including a plurality of batteries; and a switch device
coupled to the first device and a second device and including a
plurality of switches, wherein the switches are electrically
coupled to each of the batteries of the battery pack and are
operable to connect two or more batteries of the battery pack in
series or in parallel, and the switch device electrically couples
the first device to a first battery set and the second device to a
second battery set different from the first battery set, the first
battery set and the second battery set are one or more batteries
from among the plurality of batteries of the battery pack.
10. The vehicle system of claim 9 wherein: the first device is a
power distribution board that receives a first voltage from the
battery pack via the switch device, and the second device is a
motor that receives a second voltage higher than the first voltage
from the battery pack via the switch device.
11. The vehicle system of claim 10 wherein: the switch device
electrically couples one battery of the battery pack, as the first
battery set, to the power distribution board to supply the first
voltage, and the switch device electrically couples two or more
batteries of the battery pack in series, as the second battery set,
and couples the second battery set to the motor to supply the
second voltage.
12. The vehicle system of claim 9 wherein the switch device
electrically couples two or more batteries of the battery pack in
series, as the second battery set.
13. The vehicle system of claim 9 wherein: the first device is a DC
motor; and the switch device electrically couples the DC motor to
one or more batteries of the battery pack to supply a varying power
voltage to the DC motor.
14. The vehicle system of claim 9 wherein the switch device
electrical couples a third battery set different from the first
battery set and the second battery set to a power source to charge
the third battery set.
15. The vehicle system of claim 9 further comprising: a battery
monitor monitoring a power state of the batteries; and a battery
control module outputting a command signal to the switch device to
control the batteries of the battery pack based on the power state
of the batteries from the battery monitor and an operation state of
the first subsystem and the second subsystem.
16. The vehicle system of claim 15 wherein the battery control
module identifies the first battery set and the second battery set
via the command signal and the switch device operates the switches
to couple the first device to the first battery set and the second
device to the second battery set.
17. The vehicle system of claim 9 wherein the switches are
metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors.
18. The vehicle system of claim 9 wherein the switch device is
coupled to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of each of
the batteries by way of the switches.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/055,221, filed on Sep. 25, 2014.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a battery system for
powering components in a vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0003] This section provides background information related to the
present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
[0004] Vehicles, such as a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle,
and/or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, include an electric motor
which generates power to move the vehicle. The electric motor is
powered by batteries that may be collectively arranged as a battery
pack. In addition to powering the electric motor, the battery pack
may also power fans, compressors, an audio system, powered seats,
and other electrical components in the vehicle. The battery pack
may be part of a battery system that supplies power to low voltage
and high voltage devices. More particularly, using DC-DC
converters, such as boost and/or buck converters, the voltage
outputted by the battery pack can be increased or decreased to
supply power to devices having different voltage requirements.
SUMMARY
[0005] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure,
and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of
its features.
[0006] The present disclosure is directed toward a battery system
for powering devices disposed in a vehicle. The battery system
includes a battery pack and a switch device. The battery pack
includes a plurality of batteries. The switch device includes a
plurality of switches that are electrically coupled to each of the
batteries of the battery pack and are operable to control each of
the batteries of the battery pack. As an example, two or more
batteries of the battery pack may be coupled in series or in
parallel and a connection to a single battery may be controlled
independently from the other batteries. In an aspect of the present
disclosure, the battery system further includes a battery control
module that outputs a command signal to the switch device to
control the batteries of the battery pack.
[0007] The battery system of the present disclosure may power
multiple devices that require different voltage levels by
controlling each of the batteries in the battery pack. The switch
device may control an individual battery to provide power to a low
voltage device (e.g., 12V), may couple two or more batteries in
series to provide power to high voltage device (e.g., 48V), and/or
may couple one or more batteries to a power source for charging the
batteries. Accordingly, the battery system of the present
disclosure may not require a boost and/or buck converter for
providing power to devices having different voltage
requirements.
[0008] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the
description provided herein. The description and specific examples
in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and
are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
DRAWINGS
[0009] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes
only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations,
and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a battery system
having a switch device of the present disclosure;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle system
having multiple subsystems;
[0012] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate an operation of the switch
device;
[0013] FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are schematics of a portion of a switch
device having electrical switches coupled to batteries of a battery
pack;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of a battery control
module;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of a switch device;
[0016] FIG. 7 is an example of a vehicle system for a heavy duty
truck, where the vehicle system includes the battery system for
powering different devices disposed in the truck;
[0017] FIG. 8 is an example of a vehicle-battery operation table
for the vehicle system of FIG. 7;
[0018] FIG. 9 illustrates the switch device coupled to two battery
packs;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a battery system in
a second embodiment that has a switch device for operating a DC
motor as an AC motor; and
[0020] FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate an application of the switch
device for driving a DC motor with varying voltage.
[0021] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] The present disclosure will now be described in detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0023] A vehicle may include one or more batteries for powering
various devices that require varying levels of electric power. For
example, the vehicle may include a motor-generator that requires
over 12V, and fans, blowers, and/or a starter that require
approximately 12V. To power these devices, the vehicle may include
a vehicle battery system of the present disclosure that includes a
switch device for controlling each battery of a battery pack in
order to provide power to the devices that may have different power
requirements.
[0024] More particularly, with reference to FIG. 1, a battery
system 100 controls the supply of electrical power for a vehicle.
The vehicle may be, for example, a hybrid vehicle, an electric
vehicle, a truck having a diesel-based internal combustion engine,
and/or other suitable vehicle having electrical devices requiring
varying voltages. The battery system 100 includes a battery control
module 102, a battery monitor module 104 (i.e., a battery monitor),
a battery pack 106, and a switch device 108. The battery pack 106
includes multiple batteries (B.sub.1, B.sub.2, . . . , B.sub.N,
where N is an integer), which may be collectively referred to as
"batteries B." The batteries B may have the same voltage or
different voltages, such as 12V and/or 24V.
[0025] The battery control module 102 communicates with other
control modules in the vehicle to assess the power demand of the
vehicle. As an example, FIG. 2 illustrates a vehicle control system
118 in which the battery control module 102 is in communication
with an engine control module 120, a climate control module 122, an
audio-visual module 124, a passenger seat module 126, and a
communication module 128, via a data network 130 (e.g., CAN, LIN).
The other modules provide information regarding the operation of a
system controlled by the respective module. Based on the
information received, the battery control module 102 controls the
batteries B of the battery pack 106, as described below.
[0026] The engine control module 120 controls the operation of an
internal combustion engine that may include an alternator for
converting mechanical power from the engine to electrical power.
The engine control module 120 may provide information regarding the
operation of the engine to the battery control module 102.
[0027] The climate control module 122 controls the operation of a
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the
vehicle. The vehicle may include a front and/or a rear HVAC system.
The climate control module 122 may transmit information regarding
the operation state of components that are part of the HVAC systems
to the battery control module 102 via the data network 130. For
example, the climate control module 122 may notify the battery
control module 102 that the front and/or the rear HVAC systems are
in an ON-state.
[0028] The audio-visual module 124 controls an entertainment system
of the vehicle that includes speakers, liquid crystal display
(LCD), radio, and/or microphone. The audio-visual module 124 may
transmit information indicating the operation state (e.g., ON or
OFF state) of these devices to the battery control module.
[0029] The passenger seat module 126 controls the operation of one
or more seats disposed in the passenger cabin of the vehicle. The
seats may be temperature controlled seats that include heating
and/or cooling elements for controlling the temperature of the
seat. The passenger seat module 126 transmits information to the
battery control module 102 regarding the activation or deactivation
of the temperature control features of the seat. For example, the
passenger seat module 126 may transmit information indicating that
the temperature control feature is OFF, in a HEAT mode, or in a
COOL mode.
[0030] The battery control module 102 may also communicate with
devices external of the vehicle by way of the communication module
128. For example, the battery control module 102 may transmit
information regarding a condition of a defective battery to a
service station via the communication module 128. The communication
module 128 may transmit the information via wireless and/or wired
communication. Wireless communication may include short range
communication, such as Bluetooth, and/or long range communication
that is supported by vehicle to infrastructure communication.
[0031] The battery monitor module 104 monitors operating conditions
within the battery pack 106 and of each battery B. As an example,
the battery monitor module 104 may monitor the charge-discharge
rate of each battery B, the temperature of the battery pack 106,
the state of charge (SOC) of each battery B, and/or other
information for determining the condition and the life of the
batteries B. The battery monitor module 104 may receive information
from sensors disposed within the battery pack 106, such as a
temperature sensor for monitoring temperature within the battery
pack 106, a voltage sensor monitoring the voltage of each battery
B, or a charge current sensor for monitoring the current supplied
to the battery for charging the battery B. Based on the information
from the sensors, and predetermined algorithms, the battery monitor
module 104 may determine each of the operating conditions provided
above.
[0032] Based on the operation conditions of the batteries B and the
battery pack 106 determined by the battery monitor module 104, the
battery control module 102 may determine if a battery needs to be
charged, if a battery is defective, if a life of a battery has
deteriorated, and/or other suitable condition for assessing the
performance and quality of the batteries B in the battery pack 106.
Information regarding the condition of the battery pack 106 and the
batteries B within the battery pack 106 may be provided to the
service station by way of the battery control module 102 and the
communication module 128. As an example, if the performance of a
given battery B from the battery pack 106 has deteriorated such
that the battery is not able to maintain a charge for a
predetermined amount of time or has a charge-discharge rate below a
predetermined threshold, the battery monitor module 104 may send
information indicative of such condition to the service station.
The service station may then notify a driver of the vehicle of the
low performing battery and recommend that the battery be replaced.
For instance, the service stations may transmit the message to the
communication module 128 and the communication module 128 may
display the message using the LCD.
[0033] The switch device 108 controls each battery B within the
battery pack 106 to provide power to one or more devices in the
vehicle and/or to charge the battery B. Generally, a vehicle may
include multiple devices that require the same electrical voltage
(i.e., a standard-power device) and may also include one or more
other devices that may require a larger amount of electrical
voltage (i.e., a high-power device). The switch device 108 controls
the batteries B to supply power to both standard-power devices and
high-power devices. In addition, the switch device 108 may
electrically couple the batteries B to a power source to charge the
batteries B.
[0034] With continuing reference to FIG. 1, in the example
embodiment, the switch device 108 is coupled to accessory devices
140, a motor-generator 142, a shore power connector 144, and an
alternator 146. The switch device 108 has multiple ports 148 for
coupling to various devices that receive and/or provide power
to/from the batteries B. While the switch device 108 is illustrated
as having four ports 148, it is readily understood that the switch
device may include any number of ports (i.e., one or more ports)
and is not limited to four.
[0035] The accessory devices 140 are standard-power devices and may
include starters, fans, LCD, power seats, exterior light, interior
lights, and/or other electrical devices that may require a standard
voltage (e.g., 12V or 24V). In the example embodiment, the
accessory devices 140 are coupled to the switch device 108 by way
of a power distribution board (PDB) 150. Each low voltage device
having the same power voltage requirement is coupled to the PDB
150, and the PDB 150 is electrically coupled to the switch device
108 at one of the ports 148 of the switch device 108. The PDB 150
distributes the requisite power voltage to the accessory devices
140. Alternatively, each accessory device 140 may be directly
coupled to the switch device 108 by way of a designated port
148.
[0036] The motor-generator 142 may be considered a high-power
device and may require 48V. Other high-power devices that may be
coupled to the switch device 108 include AC compressors, a motor,
and/or other electric device that may require more than the
standard power. The motor-generator 142 converts electrical power
from the batteries B to mechanical power to move the vehicle. The
motor-generator 142 may also operate as a generator to charge the
batteries B by converting, for example, mechanical or kinetic
energy to electrical energy.
[0037] In addition to the motor-generator 142, the switch device
108 may charge the batteries B by way of the shore power connector
144 and/or the alternator 146. The shore power connector 144
connects to, for example, a 120V AC power outlet for charging one
or more batteries B. The alternator 146 converts mechanical energy
from an engine 152 to electrical power for charging the batteries
B. A DC-DC converter may be coupled to the alternator 146 for
converting the power from the alternator 146 to a requisite voltage
level for charging the battery B. The shore power connector 144,
the alternator 146, and/or the motor-generator 142 in the generator
mode are examples of a power source for charging a battery B of the
battery pack 106.
[0038] The switch device 108 controls the electrical connection of
the battery pack 106 to the devices and/or the power source. For
example, FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the switch device 108
controlling the electrical connection between a battery pack 300
with the alternator 146, the accessory device 140, and the
motor-generator 142. The battery pack 300 includes six 12V
batteries. Based on different operation scenarios, the switch
device 108 is able to couple any single battery and/or combination
of one or more batteries to any of the devices.
[0039] As an example, in FIG. 3A, the switch device 108
electrically couples: the battery B3 to the alternator 146 for
charging the battery B3 (illustrated by line 302). In addition,
batteries B1, B2, B4, and B5 are coupled in series to the
motor-generator 142 for supplying supply 48V to the motor-generator
142 (illustrated by line 304). The battery B6 is coupled to the
power distribution board 150 for supplying 12V to the accessory
devices 140 (illustrated by line 306). In another example,
illustrated in FIG. 3B, the switch device 108 electrically couples
the battery B1 to the power distribution board 150, battery B6 to
the alternator 146 for charging, and batteries B2 to B5 in series
to the motor-generator 142. Accordingly, the battery system 100 of
the present disclosure may meet the varying power demands of the
different vehicle system by way of multiple batteries and the
switch device 108. In other words, a DC-to-DC converter may not be
needed for converting the power from the battery pack 106 to a
higher/lower power level. That is, the switch device 108 may
operate one battery to power a low volt device, may connect
multiple batteries in series to operate a high volt device, and may
charge the remaining batteries via a power source.
[0040] The switch device 108 of the battery system 100 may charge
the batteries B based on the batteries B with the lowest SOC.
Specifically, based on the information from the battery monitor
module 104, the battery control module 102 may have the switch
device 108 add and remove batteries as they charge. If one battery
reaches 100% SOC, that battery can be removed from being charged
and a battery with low SOC may be charged.
[0041] The switch device 108 includes a plurality of electrical
switches that are operable to electrically couple the batteries B
to a device (e.g., motor generator and/or the accessory devices)
and/or to the power source (e.g., share power, alternator, and/or
the accessory devices). The electrical switches are positioned to
electrically couple two or more batteries in parallel or in series.
In particular, the switch device 108 is connected to the positive
and negative terminals of each of the batteries to control a given
battery individually and/or to control multiple batteries in
series/parallel.
[0042] As an example, FIGS. 4A and 4B are simplified schematics
illustrating four 12V batteries (B.sub.1-B.sub.4) and switches K1
to K6. The switches K1 to K6 may be relays or solid state switches
that are electrically actuated by the switch device 108. In FIG.
4A, the batteries B1 to B4 are electrically coupled in parallel to
output 12V across a designated terminal T. The terminal T may be
electrically coupled to a port of the switch device, which in
return is coupled to a power source to charge the batteries B1 to
B4. Alternatively, the terminal T, via the port, may be
electrically coupled to a PDB for supplying power to accessory
devices requiring 12V. In FIG. 4B, the switches K1 to K6 are
actuated to couple the batteries B1 to B6 in series to output 48V
across the terminal T. The terminal T, via the port, may be coupled
to a high power device, such as a motor or motor-generator 142.
[0043] FIG. 4C illustrates a configuration in which solid state
switches, such as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect
transistors (MOSFETs) are utilized for controlling the connection
of the batteries. In FIG. 4C, nine MOSFETs K1-K9 perform as
switches to electrically couple batteries B1 to B4 in parallel or
in series. When electrical current is applied to the gate of a
given MOSFET, current flows between the drain and the source. Thus,
the MOSFET acts as a closed switch between the drain and the
source. When electrical current is not applied to the gate, current
is prevented from flowing between the drain and the source and,
thus, the MOSFET operates as an open switch. Accordingly, when
current is applied to the gates of MOSFETS K1-K6, the batteries B1
to B4 are electrically coupled in parallel to output 12V. When
current is applied to the gates of MOSFETS K7 to K9, the batteries
B1 to B4 are electrically coupled in series to output 48V. While
the solid state switches are illustrated as MOSFETs, other suitable
solid state switches may be used such as field-effect
transistors.
[0044] An example implementation for operating the battery system
100 of the vehicle is presented. The battery control module 102
determines the power output requirement of the battery system 100
based on the operation of one or more devices, the condition of the
batteries B provided by the battery monitor module 104, and
predetermined battery operation allocation. The battery control
module 102 transmits a command signal to the switch device 108 to
have the switch device 108 electrically couple the batteries to
designated ports.
[0045] With reference to FIG. 5, the battery control module may
include a load assessment module 502 and a power designation module
504. The load assessment module 502 determines the operation of one
or more designated vehicle systems as active or inactive. For
example, based on the information from the other modules, the load
assessment module 502 determines whether the engine is in
operation, whether HVAC system is ON, and/or whether the shore
power connector is plugged in.
[0046] Based on the operation of the vehicle systems, the power
designation module 504 determines the connection of the batteries
B. More particularly, the battery control module 102 includes a
vehicle-battery repository 506 that stores predetermined
vehicle-battery guidelines (VBG) 508. The vehicle-battery
repository 506 is a storage device, such as a non-volatile memory.
The vehicle-battery guidelines 508 associate the operation state of
designated vehicle system with the operation of the battery system
100. As an example, the vehicle-battery control guidelines identify
various operation scenarios of the vehicle system, such as the
engine and the HVAC system both being OFF, the engine being OFF and
the HVAC system being ON, and the engine being ON and the HVAC
system being OFF. Each scenario is associated with a power supply
allocation. For example, the power supply allocation may indicate
that the battery system 100 is to supply power (e.g., 12V and/or
48V) in certain scenarios, and/or may determine whether another
source is supplying power, such as an alternator or a shore power
connector. The power supply allocation may also indicate whether
the batteries not being used are to be charged. For example, when a
DC motor is driving the vehicle, the switch device 108 can charge
the batteries B that are not being used to power the DC motor. The
vehicle-battery guidelines 508 may take various suitable forms such
as predefined look up tables and/or control processes.
[0047] Using the vehicle-battery guidelines 508 and the operation
condition of each battery B provided by the battery monitor module
104, the power designation module 504 determines the operation of
each battery. Specifically, the power designation module 504
determines if the batteries B are to be coupled to a particular
port 148 to supply power, which of the batteries B should be
electrically coupled to each other and/or to the ports 148, and/or
which of the batteries should be charged. The power designation
module 504 then transmits a command signal to the switch device 108
for having the switch device 108 perform the electrical connection
of the batteries B.
[0048] With reference to FIG. 6, the switch device 108 includes a
switch control module 602 and a driver 604. The electrical switches
used for connecting the batteries B in the battery pack 106 are
collectively illustrated as an electrical switch grid 606. The
driver 604 is electrically coupled to each electrical switch of the
switch grid 606 to actuate a given switch. The switch control
module 602 receives the command signal from the battery control
module 102 and determines which switches are to be actuated for
establishing the required electrical connection indicated in the
command signal. The driver 604 transmits a current pulse to one or
more desired switches in order to establish the electrical
connection.
[0049] With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, an example of a vehicle
system 700 operating based on predetermined vehicle-battery
guidelines is illustrated. The vehicle system 700 may be for a
heavy duty truck that includes a living compartment in which a
driver of the truck may reside when not driving the truck. The
vehicle system 700 includes a power system 702 that includes a
shore power connector 704, a remote starter 706, a DC-DC converter
708, and the battery system 100 having a battery pack 710. The
vehicle system 700 further includes an engine 712, a front HVAC
system 713, a rear HVAC system 714, and 12V accessory devices 716.
The engine 712 includes a starter (STR) 718 that requires 12V and
an alternator (ALT) 720 that may generate 12V when the engine 712
is operating. The alternator 720 may supply power to a front
battery pack 722 that may supply power to the 12V accessory devices
716. The front battery pack 722 is separate from the battery pack
710 of the battery system 100. The rear HVAC system 714 includes
components that require 12V or 48V. The accessory devices 716 may
receive power from the battery pack 710 or from the front battery
pack 722. The rear HVAC system 714 receives power from the battery
pack 710 via the battery system 100.
[0050] The shore power connector 704 connects to, for example, a
120V AC power outlet and charges both battery packs 710 and 724. A
rectifier (not shown) modifies the output of the 120V AC power from
the outlet to 120V DC. The remote starter 706 receives a signal
from a control unit that activates the engine 712 based on a signal
from a key-fob. The remote starter 706 may activate the rear HVAC
system 714 and the accessory devices 716. The DC-DC converter 708
may be used to convert 12V power from the alternator 720 to 48V,
which can be used to charge the battery pack 710.
[0051] FIG. 8 illustrates a vehicle-battery operation table 800
that indicates the operation of the battery pack 710 in various
situations. The letters A-G in the table 800 correspond with the
letters in FIG. 7. For example, "A" represents the 12V devices of
the rear HVAC system 714, "B" is the 48V devices of the rear HVAC
system 714, "C" is the operation of the battery system 100, "D" is
the operation of the DC-DC converter 708, "E" is the shore power
connector 704, "F" is the battery pack 710, and "G" is the battery
pack 710. Based on the operating conditions of at least the engine
712 and the rear HVAC system 714, the different subsystems are
controlled. For example, when the engine 712 is ON and the rear
HVAC system 714 is OFF, one or more batteries of the battery pack
710 may be charging, and the battery system 100 may be supplying
48V. When the engine 712 is ON and the rear HVAC system 714 is ON,
the battery system 100 supplies power to 12V and 48V devices of the
rear HVAC system 714. Some of the batteries of the battery pack 710
may be charged by the alternator 720 and DC-DC converter 708. When
the engine 712 is OFF and the rear HVAC system 714 is ON, the
battery pack 710 is discharging to supply power to the rear HVAC
system 714.
[0052] By way of the switch device 108 and the battery control
module 102, the battery system 100 may control each of the
batteries B of the battery pack to supply power to standard devices
and high power devices without the use of a DC-DC converter.
Specifically, the battery system may not require a DC-DC converter
to decrease or increase the voltage from the battery pack in order
to power the different devices of the vehicle. Instead, the switch
device 108 may electrically couple different batteries to different
devices for supplying power to the devices disposed in the
vehicle.
[0053] By having the switch device 108, the batteries of the
battery pack may be split into different battery packs. For
example, with reference to FIG. 9, the battery system 100 may
include battery packs 900A and 900B. A first set of batteries 902A
may be grouped in the battery pack 900A and a second set of
batteries 902B may be grouped in a battery pack 900B. The battery
packs 900A and 900B may be located in different locations in the
vehicle. The switch device 108 is connected to each of the
batteries 902A and 902B of the battery packs 900A and 900B to
control the batteries 902A and 902B.
[0054] The battery system 100 of the present disclosure may also be
used to operate a DC motor as an AC motor. Specifically, with
reference to FIGS. 10-12, a vehicle system for a hybrid or electric
vehicle may include a DC motor 1000 that moves the vehicle. The
battery system 100 supplies power to the DC motor 1000 and may
control the operation of the DC motor 1000 by increasing or
decreasing the power. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the
switch device 108 may ramp-up/ramp-down voltage to the DC motor
1000 by connecting two or more batteries B in series and
adding/removing batteries from a serial group of the batteries
B.
[0055] By having the switch device 108, a vehicle may no longer
require an AC inverter and an AC motor for driving the vehicle.
Specifically, an inverter can be used to convert DC power from the
batteries to power an AC motor. In the present disclosure, the
switch device 108 varies the voltage applied to the DC motor 1000
to simulate an AC motor, thereby eliminating the need for an AC
motor. The switch device 108 may also alternate between high and
low voltage, as illustrated by FIG. 12, to drive the DC motor 1000
as an AC motor.
[0056] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been
provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual
elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not
limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are
interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if
not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in
many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure
from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be
included within the scope of the disclosure.
[0057] Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure
will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are
skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth, such
as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to
provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present
disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may
be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be
construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example
embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures,
and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
[0058] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (for
example, between modules) are described using various terms,
including "connected," "engaged," "interfaced," and "coupled."
Unless explicitly described as being "direct," when a relationship
between first and second elements is described in the above
disclosure, that relationship encompasses a direct relationship
where no other intervening elements are present between the first
and second elements, and also an indirect relationship where one or
more intervening elements are present (either spatially or
functionally) between the first and second elements. As used
herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed
to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR,
and should not be construed to mean "at least one of A, at least
one of B, and at least one of C."
[0059] In this application, including the definitions below, the
term `module` or the term `controller` may be replaced with the
term `circuit.` The term `module` may refer to, be part of, or
include processor hardware (shared, dedicated, or group) that
executes code and memory hardware (shared, dedicated, or group)
that stores code executed by the processor hardware.
[0060] The module may include one or more interface circuits. In
some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless
interfaces that are connected to a local area network (LAN), the
Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or combinations thereof. The
functionality of any given module of the present disclosure may be
distributed among multiple modules that are connected via interface
circuits. For example, multiple modules may allow load balancing.
In a further example, a server (also known as remote, or cloud)
module may accomplish some functionality on behalf of a client
module.
[0061] The term code, as used above, may include software,
firmware, and/or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines,
functions, classes, data structures, and/or objects. Shared
processor hardware encompasses a single microprocessor that
executes some or all code from multiple modules. Group processor
hardware encompasses a microprocessor that, in combination with
additional microprocessors, executes some or all code from one or
more modules. References to multiple microprocessors encompass
multiple microprocessors on discrete dies, multiple microprocessors
on a single die, multiple cores of a single microprocessor,
multiple threads of a single microprocessor, or a combination of
the above.
[0062] Shared memory hardware encompasses a single memory device
that stores some or all code from multiple modules. Group memory
hardware encompasses a memory device that, in combination with
other memory devices, stores some or all code from one or more
modules.
[0063] The term memory hardware is a subset of the term
computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium, as
used herein, does not encompass transitory electrical or
electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium (such as on a
carrier wave); the term computer-readable medium is therefore
considered tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of a
non-transitory computer-readable medium are nonvolatile memory
devices (such as a flash memory device, an erasable programmable
read-only memory device, or a mask read-only memory device),
volatile memory devices (such as a static random access memory
device or a dynamic random access memory device), magnetic storage
media (such as an analog or digital magnetic tape or a hard disk
drive), and optical storage media (such as a CD, a DVD, or a
Blu-ray Disc).
[0064] The apparatuses and methods described in this application
may be partially or fully implemented by a special purpose computer
created by configuring a general purpose computer to execute one or
more particular functions embodied in computer programs. The
functional blocks and flowchart elements described above serve as
software specifications, which can be translated into the computer
programs by the routine work of a skilled technician or
programmer.
[0065] The computer programs include processor-executable
instructions that are stored on at least one non-transitory
computer-readable medium. The computer programs may also include or
rely on stored data. The computer programs may encompass a basic
input/output system (BIOS) that interacts with hardware of the
special purpose computer, device drivers that interact with
particular devices of the special purpose computer, one or more
operating systems, user applications, background services,
background applications, etc.
[0066] The computer programs may include: (i) descriptive text to
be parsed, such as HTML (hypertext markup language) or XML
(extensible markup language), (ii) assembly code, (iii) object code
generated from source code by a compiler, (iv) source code for
execution by an interpreter, (v) source code for compilation and
execution by a just-in-time compiler, etc. As examples only, source
code may be written using syntax from languages including C, C++,
C#, Objective-C, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java.RTM., Fortran,
Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCamI, Javascript.RTM., HTML5, Ada, ASP (active
server pages), PHP, Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby,
Flash.RTM., Visual Basic.RTM., Lua, and Python.RTM..
[0067] None of the elements recited in the claims are intended to
be a means-plus-function element within the meaning of 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.112(f) unless an element is expressly recited using the
phrase "means for" or, in the case of a method claim, using the
phrases "operation for" or "step for."
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